Chaucer's cook is an expert at making blankmanger, which
translates as "white food." Judging by the many versions of the
recipe that appear in period cookbooks, most medieval cooks were
probably
at least familiar with this dish. By the strictest definition,
blankmanger
is any bland, white pottage based on almond milk, and (except for a few
fish-day versions) contains ground poultry, thickened with rice flour;
the standard English flesh-day version was ground capon (or chicken)
with
rice and almond milk. In some recipes the poultry is in chunks, rather
than ground up. Today's modern blancmange is a type of rice-pudding
dessert,
much beloved by the English, and only bears a slight resemblance to the
medieval forerunner.

Bring to a boil the rice, milk, & salt. Reduce heat, stir in
chicken, & cover; allow to cook, stirring occasionally, until
liquid
is absorbed and rice is fluffy. Garnish with almonds and a sprinkle of
sugar.

Real almond milk may be substituted with the modern Swedish
method
of flavoring whole milk with almond oil or extract.